Published: Friday, February 1, 2013 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, January 31, 2013 at 7:23 p.m.

SARASOTA - Citing a lack of young people regionally and competition from outdoor activities, Sarasota's BounceU franchise intends to close ater this month -- a move that will leave scores of parents wondering where to have their child's next birthday party.

Meredith Armstrong, who has co-owned the entertainment venue at 1925 Northgate Blvd. with her husband for more than five years, said daily expenses to run the business were burdensome.

"Even with some growth, there wasn't enough to meet the needs of the overhead," Armstrong said of BounceU, which is to close Feb. 25.

"On the rare occasion it was very cold or very hot outside, we stayed busy," Armstrong added. "But it's hard to compete with outdoor events when you live in Sarasota."

BounceU is not the only children's entertainment venue to close in recent years.

The Kids Activity Center, a 3,700-square-foot, air-conditioned indoor gymnastics-themed place for kids, closed its doors just off Cooper Creek Boulevard last year, citing similar issues.

But a few children's indoor play areas -- including a Chuck E. Cheese location in Bradenton and others -- have survived locally.

Coconuts Family Entertainment, a children's facility on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota that debuted after BounceU, has seen enough growth in its three-year history that owner Tim Mihm is hoping to open two more locations, in Sarasota and Naples.

"Our business models were different," Mihm said of BounceU. "We still rely on a lot of walk-in traffic during the school year."

To maintain business, Mihm has expanded Coconuts' offerings to include sports team parties and scout troop events, along with more traditional birthday parties.

But Mihm agrees that the post-recession years have been hard for children's entertainment -- even in an area known for discretionary income and spending.

"The market has stayed stagnant over the last three years, we have not seen a lot of growth population-wise, and understand the challenges that come with that," he said.

Armstrong and Mihm agreed that despite the regional hit commercial real estate has taken in recent years, rents have not fallen enough to sustain many small retail businesses.

"Truthfully, renting a facility of this size and maintaining the day-to-day expenses is much higher than many realize," Armstrong wrote to customers in an email this week.

"I am truly heartbroken to say goodbye, but unfortunately this good thing must come to an end."

<p><em>SARASOTA</em> - Citing a lack of young people regionally and competition from outdoor activities, Sarasota's BounceU franchise intends to close ater this month -- a move that will leave scores of parents wondering where to have their child's next birthday party.</p><p>Despite a trend toward younger populations regionally -- recent census figures show Sarasota has its youngest demographic in decades -- BounceU's pending closure demonstrates that Sarasota County remains challenging to businesses that rely on youth to survive.</p><p>Meredith Armstrong, who has co-owned the entertainment venue at 1925 Northgate Blvd. with her husband for more than five years, said daily expenses to run the business were burdensome.</p><p>"Even with some growth, there wasn't enough to meet the needs of the overhead," Armstrong said of BounceU, which is to close Feb. 25.</p><p>"On the rare occasion it was very cold or very hot outside, we stayed busy," Armstrong added. "But it's hard to compete with outdoor events when you live in Sarasota."</p><p>BounceU is not the only children's entertainment venue to close in recent years.</p><p>The Kids Activity Center, a 3,700-square-foot, air-conditioned indoor gymnastics-themed place for kids, closed its doors just off Cooper Creek Boulevard last year, citing similar issues.</p><p>But a few children's indoor play areas -- including a Chuck E. Cheese location in Bradenton and others -- have survived locally.</p><p>Coconuts Family Entertainment, a children's facility on Bee Ridge Road in Sarasota that debuted after BounceU, has seen enough growth in its three-year history that owner Tim Mihm is hoping to open two more locations, in Sarasota and Naples.</p><p>"Our business models were different," Mihm said of BounceU. "We still rely on a lot of walk-in traffic during the school year."</p><p>To maintain business, Mihm has expanded Coconuts' offerings to include sports team parties and scout troop events, along with more traditional birthday parties.</p><p>But Mihm agrees that the post-recession years have been hard for children's entertainment -- even in an area known for discretionary income and spending.</p><p>"The market has stayed stagnant over the last three years, we have not seen a lot of growth population-wise, and understand the challenges that come with that," he said.</p><p>Armstrong and Mihm agreed that despite the regional hit commercial real estate has taken in recent years, rents have not fallen enough to sustain many small retail businesses.</p><p>"Truthfully, renting a facility of this size and maintaining the day-to-day expenses is much higher than many realize," Armstrong wrote to customers in an email this week.</p><p>"I am truly heartbroken to say goodbye, but unfortunately this good thing must come to an end."</p>